Mrs Margaretta Lewis of Worthing, Sussex, has received £20,000 in personal injury compensationfollowing an accident claim when a badly installed heater fell and left her trapped beneath it for more than 24 hours in October 2005.
The 87-year-old widow went to investigate a loud noise coming from a metal, brick-filled heater a workman had fitted three months earlier. She had just reached it when it suddenly fell from its brackets, pinning her to the floor and knocking her unconscious. She suffered such severe burns that she had to spend six weeks in hospital. She also suffered a fractured hip and broken ankle.
Mrs Lewis said: “I couldn’t remember anything for a while. My legs were underneath and got all burnt. I was in so much pain I couldn’t move. It happened at about 7pm but I had to lie there until the following day. My ankle was broken and my hip was in agony. I tried to reach the cushions on the settee so I could push them under the heater and save my legs from burning too much.”
Three years on from the accident she still suffers from vertigo and has blackouts. She said: “I still can’t walk. My hips had only just been done at the time. Before all this I was very energetic and very young for my age.”
The accident was caused by the installer’s poor workmanship. He was negligent in failing to fit the heater properly, and his insurers accepted responsibility and agreed to settle the personal injury claim. The insurers of Chris Fosbury Electrical settled out of court agreeing to pay Mrs Lewis £20,000 compensation.
The type of accidents that happen within the home can be caused by faulty goods or products as well as by poor workmanship. Many of these accidents result in successful claims for injury compensation being made against the supplier of the faulty goods or services.
The pensioner has already decided how to spend her damages award. “I’m going to treat myself my going to Bournemouth for a month and blowing the whole lot on a holiday. I’ve never been in a hotel or had a holiday in my life so it will be a big occasion for me”, she said.
Chris Fosbury refused to comment on the incident.